Laelia angereri Pabst
 

This is not really common in cultivation despite its bright colored flowers that can go from red to bright orange. The plant in the photo is representative of the orange end. This species grows north of Belo Horizonte, the Capital of the State of Minas Gerais, home of so many beautiful rupicolous gems!
This plant in the photo was given to me in 2003. My friend came to me and said 'take it, or it dies in my hands'. I looked at that piece of nothing, two micro-bulbs, he was handing me, , and thought to myself 'well, I think it is going to die in MY hands...'
But, soon the plant started a mini-new growth and I thought 'well, if it is not going to give up, so I don't'. It was hard, it took me seven years, but here it is blooming radiantly!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/...a5a1a860_t.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2665/...55801309_t.jpg

That one is gorgeous Mauro! Gotta love the vibrant orange colour!

WOW! that's really great!
your growing skills & your photographic ones too!
Mauro, I have a question please,; Have you divided it since your friend gave you the 2 sickly bulbs?

No, Nenella. And that was the rupicolous that taught me we should mess with them only if it is absolutely necessary, and by this I mean dividing or repotting. If memory serves me well I repotted this plant only one time in all these years.

Wow, great colour. Wonderful recovery, I'm glad you didn't give up on it.

Great save !!! :clap:This is incredibly beautiful, have you shown your friend how well this plant has done for you?

Ahah! I was speaking with him the other day and asked 'Do you remember that piece of grass you gave me more than half a decade ago, an angereri knocking at heaven's door?' He said 'yes, but only now you remembered saying it died?' I smiled and then proudly answered that the plant finally was in bloom! He didn't believe much!

Beautiful!

Fantastic, Mauro--both the blooms and your story of success with this plant. Do you actually grow this one in rocks, or do you have it in a different type of potting mix? If it's in sphagnum moss (I think you've posted before that some of your cattleyas and laelias are growing in moss), would you mind giving some cultural tips, please? Do you pack loosely or firmly with the moss? How often do you water it--allow it to dry out completely between waterings or keep it slightly moist? Thank you.

Steve

Yes! Please do answer Mauro...I need all the help that I can get!